The Lady In The Mirror
by MermaidOdair
Summary: While visiting Downton Abbey to write an article about the place, Tom Branson is surprised to find a mirror with the Lady Sybil Crawley stuck in it. Will he be able to help her escape this prison she's been to for the past 97 years? Modern day AU.
1. The Lady In The Mirror I

_Hello, I've got this idea a few days ago, while I was watching a tv show and a girl got stuck on a painting, and I decided to write an au where Sybil got stuck in one as well, but after a while I chose a mirror because it seemed better for this story, either way it is not a very long story , only a few chapter but I hope you like 'The Lady in the Mirror' and as always I love to hear what you all think of it,so don't hesitate to tell me if something seems weird. _

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><p>"And here, Mr. Branson is your room. Do you know how long you will be staying?"<p>

"Just until I finish my article about the history behind this house, only a couple of days." Tom spoke and with that the man was gone, Tom didn't even asked him about the house. He was doing an article about the history behind the house of Downton Abbey.

Downton abbey already had its days of glory with the Earls and countess who lived here, but after a tragedy striked the family the house become a foundation and a hotel, for a request of the Dowager Countess who by what Tom had researched wanted the house to stay the same.

That wasn't what Tom wanted to write about, he mainly wanted to write about politics and something that could help people and being in a place of the aristocracy and write about their glory days, definitely was way out of his desires, but since he had to write about it, his wish was to write about the people, not the types.

After a few moments Tom took a proper look on his room, it was the room of one of the lady's of the house, that he may even see some details about her in the room, it belonged to Lady Sybil Crawley, who in his researches was the rebellious of the house, being at political rally's and serving as a nurse at the first great war. The room was fancy, and had even some painting on the wall, but one caught his eye, it was from Lady sybil herself, the painting looked somewhat alive, the colors were bright but at the same time it showed simplicity and peace.

Tom decide that the best to do for the night would be read about the place and the people who lived here, not that he had found much about it. In fact, he found nothing about the staff or how the family actually acted, he only knew of the titles.

"Hello? Can I get a help here please?" He heard a voice calling, at first he taught it could be some one outside, that may had fallen, or need help with the bags, but after looking outside, he knew this was not the case. Still, he was sure he heard something, no, not something, someone calling.

"Is there anyone here? I need help! Please!" He heard it again, this time after he had settled on his bed, the sound appeared as it had come from the side of the wardrobe, but when he looked, he found nothing but what appeared as some sort of painting or mirror, covered by a sheet. "Please!"

He quickly removed the sheet and he didn't knew how to express what he felt by what he saw, surprised would say the lease, he was genuinely shocked.

"Thank God! I was beginning to think no one would find me." The woman exclaimed, and Tom was so shocked he nearly let the mirror fall on the ground.

"Wh-Who are you?" He asked, he was sure that she could notice he was shaking like a leaf.

"I am Lady Sybil Crawley and what is you name?" She asked, and now he noticed she was the girl on the painting, the girl whom the room belonged to.

"I am Tom Branson." he asked, still nervous but his curiosity was getting the best of him. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." She answered "Oh, you mean in this mirror?" She asked and Tom nodded "it is a long and tragic story."

"Can I hear it?" he asked, It was truly weird to hear about someone trapped inside a mirror, and he surely wanted to know why that happened.

"Well, it all started in 1917, and there was this soldier, who, how can I say, fancied me." She started and he could see a bit of anger in her blue eyes "But I didn't fancied him, not at all, when I told him this he got really mad, saying that he was the best for a Lady since he was a future Earl, but tart wasn't the life, I've wanted, I wanted to travel, to find my place and someone who truly loved and understood me."

"That seems horrible." Tom said, still confused but he sensed that if she told her this, it must mean something for the story. "Was it him? The one who put you in this mirror?"

"Yes, I remember as if it was yesterday." She said "He came into the house, he was healing from a was injury and this had become a convalescent home. He kept saying that if I wasn't going to marry him, than I wouldn't be with anyone else, forever."

"But how did he did this?" Tom asked.

"I am not sure, I think he had some sort of magical power, but that sounds pretty obvious huh?" She answered before sighing, "I have been here, for 97 years, and you're the first person that didn't ran away when I started speaking. No one would hear me."

"Didn't your family tried to help you? rescue you from this?" He said motioning to the mirror.

"They tried, but sadly they all, well, you must now what happened, don't you?" She asked, and he could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Yes I do, it was because of the spanish flu, wasn't it?" He asked, in his reasearch it said that they all succumbed to the disease, but after what he just found out, he wasn't sure if that was the true story.

"Yes, I saw them all get weak, they died one by one." She said, tears falling on her face.

"How can I help you?" He said, he couldn't just leave her in a mirror for the rest of time, not when he had talked to her, his own conscience wouldn't let him live in peace with it. he had to help her.


	2. The Lady In The Mirror II

_Hi, everyone! I would like to thank for the reviews and views this story has gotten, you're all awesome! In this chapter we will learn more about Sybil's past and how did she ended in a mirror._

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><p>"Would you? Would you really help me Mr. Branson?" She asked, she looked surprised and doubtful about it, after all he had just met her, why would he want to help her?<p>

"Of course and you can call me Tom." He said, he placed the mirror on a table, near the wall so that it was standing and she could look at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Br, I mean Tom." She said and stopped when she noticed he seemed to look for something in his bag. "What are you looking?"

"This." He said taking a chair and siting on the front of the mirror. "Maybe I can find something to help you in my cellphone."

"A cell what?" She asked and Tom couldn't help but smile at the expression in her face, it was of utter shock, he was sure she must had known the world changed in all this years, but it still was very funny to see her react to the modern world, and for a while he noticed, that no one must have tried to help her in years.

"A cellphone, I can use it to call people, message, hears songs and I can search things in it." He said "I am sorry, I forgot these didn't existed in the late 1910's."

"Oh, but how will this thing save me?" She asked, it was clear to him, that in even 97 years trapped inside a mirror, she still hadn't lost her spirit.

"I can search things in it, as I said, so maybe it can help us figure it out a way to get you out." He replied "If it can't than at least it can give us directions. What do you remember of the day he put you here?"

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><p><em>97 years ago<em>

_"Lady Sybil, id there anything else I can help you with?" Gwen asked with a smile, it's amazing that even in times of war she is always smiling and seeing the good in life._

_"No, thank you, I will go down for supper in a bit, you can leave now, if you want." Sybil replied, even tough she couldn't get Larry Grey's words out of her mind 'If you aren't mine, than you aren't anyone else's either'. How could he think O would belong to him? Sybil tought to herself, she was hers and hers only, but apparently he only tought of her as some sort of trophy, he think he deserves. _

_her thoughts were interrupter by the sound of the door opening. At first she tought it was Gwen who had come to call her for supper, but it wasn't, it was Larry Grey, the man she dreaded and honestly hated he most._

_"What are you doing here? I think iw as very clear last time."Sybil said rising from her chair to look him in the eyes, he had an evil gleam in his eyes and it was starting to scare her, but even scared she still stood there, brave and bold._

_"And I said you would never be anyone else's either, now it's time for me to fulfil m promise." He spoke coldly "But, you still have a choice, marry me."_

_"Not in a million years." She said "And if you don't leave now, I'll scream and I know someone will hear me and get you out, maybe even get you in prison." _

_"And who would belive in you?" He said before stepping closer and whispering words in a language she didn't understand. he grabbed her arm strongly, and pushed her over the mirror on the wall._

_Black was all she saw for a moment until she could finally see again, but her sight was unpleasant, because there was Larry grey smirking like he was some sort of winner, and Sybil screamed, she screamed as loud as she could as she watched him slip thought the window, and she hoped someone would hear her, and help her escape this misery._

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><p>"That was it." she said with sadness and tears in her eyes. "Of course they heard me after a while, but there was not much they could do for me."<p>

"Did you knew if your family had any idea of a way that could get you out?" Tom asked and she nodded.

"They searched, they were close to an answer, they said, but I could see they just wanted to give me some sort of hope." She side "I remember Edith talked about a book, she had found with papa, but I don't think that was any good."

"I am sorry." He said "I found something here, about an old legend of people being stuck on mirrors and paintings."

"That is great. What does it say?" She asked and her eyes lit up with happiness,a dn the prospect of an answer.

"That there was a princess on a far land trapped inside a mirror, actually that is a legend I heard before, now that I've stopped to take a proper look on it."

"Oh, and How did she get out?" She asked him.

"It says that the mirror are some sort of between the worlds, between life and death." He replied and she looked expectant to his next words, waiting for her longed answer. "There was a spell in a book, maybe if we find that book, we can take you out, perhaps it was the book your sister talked about?"

"Maybe it was but either was that sounds great, where can we find this book?" She asked him, and he remembered all the things he'd heard about the Lady Sybil Crawley who was brave and bold, not caring about what would people think of her, and he couldn't help but belive they were right, especially at the part that said she was charming and interesting.

"I can download it, but don't get you hopes high, it's just a tale." He said, not wanting to hurt her if it wouldn't work. "It may take some time."

"It's alright, thank you for trying, meanwhile, tell me Tom, what are you doing in Downton Abbey?"


	3. The Lady In The Mirror III

_Hi everyone! it' me again, I would like to thank everyone who's viewed and reviewed this story, that means a lot. I decided that I will slip this story in parts, I don't know how many yet, but probably three. Anyway, i hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do._

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><p>"I came here to write an article about this house, about Downton." Tom said with a smile , but she quickly noticed this wasn't a smile that reached his eyes.<p>

"That's not want you want, isn't it?" She asked quietly and he nodded "Why are you writing about something you don't like?"

"It's not that I don't like this house, That isn't what I want to write about."

"And what do you want to write about, may I ask?"

"I would like to write about politics, that is my dream at least. Maybe one day I can write a book." He answered her this time with a true smile.

"And don't you write about that?" She asked "I've told you my story, It's only fair you tell me yours."

"Okay, I'll tell." Tom said "I'm just a guy from Dublin, who wants to help people and I think that being a journalist would help me do that, I guess in the end of the day I just want to help people."

"You are." Sybil said looking him in the eyes.

"Excuse me?" Tom asked, not knowing what she would meant by these words.

"You are helping me, even if it doesn't work, even if you can't take me out of this place, it is nice to have someone to tak to, I haven't got that in decades." Sybil said smiling brightly. "Now tell me more about politics. Did woman get the vote?"

"They do." He answered "You're quite political, from what I researched, aren't you?"

"Yes I am." Sybil replied "The rebellious one. but we're done talking about me, tell me more about your life? Why can't you write about what you really want?"

"Maybe I will, one day. Not many people have interest in politics these days and its hard to find a journal that will publish the work of someone who hasn't got many space in that area." Tom said, it had been hard for him to find a job that would let him write, it would be even harder to find one that would let him write anything he would want.

"I am sure it will all work for you one day, but so far you've only takes about work. and your personal life? And what about this book you would want to write?" She asked, before quickly adding "That's if you want to talk about that."

"I have two siblings, my mother is a nurse, and I live with my dog whose named Penny, and that's it, I don't do anything out of the ordinary."

"Wouldn't you consider talking to a mirror out of the ordinary?" sybil asked, with a smirk in her face.

"I guess I can add that to the list of things that probably won't happen again." Tom said with a smirk matching hers. "The book, I am not sure what I would like to write about but I have some plans for it, maybe a work of fiction."

"Tell me more. Got a sweetheart?" Sybil asked playfully.

"No one, and you got a sweetheart before, you know, getting trapped in a mirror?" Tom replied with a smirk.

"No one as well. Maybe I would have had one someday."

There was a sound coming from his cellphone, indicating that the download had finished. On the file it said it would take a lot of time to download, but Tom didn't even realised.

"It's done." Tom said "Let me read it, I'll search in it."

Tom looked on the pages of the book, flipping the pages in his cellphone until he saw what seemed like and spell some curse '_Non est meum, non è, captus est, nec ultra cessaverunt.' _

"I found it, it is latin, I think." Tom said "I think there is another one telling how to free someone from the mirror too."

"This whole thing is very intriguing isn't it?" Sybil said "It is odd to finally be able to get out, but I do think that one day I may look back and see all this and smile, even tough it has bore me for the past 97 years."

"Aren't you scared? Of what happens now?"

"No, I know it will be strange, and I am not sure of what will happen to me but I hope to at least have an answer." Sybil answered and Tom looked back to the cellphone to search for an answer to her problem until he figured how to reply to her.

"Here!" Tom nearly screamed with excitement as he ruffled thought the phone and found her spell. "I think I found it!"

"Really?" Sybil exclaimed, her eyes shinning with happiness "What does it say?"

"Et illius, inquam, illius solius est speculum scire verbis frangere." He said "It's so simple! I can't belive it!"

"What is it?" Sybil asked.

"We just have to break the mirror!" he said "At least that's what the translation in here says."

"It makes sense." Sybil said, recording her latin classes, all these years ago when she was just a girl, whom her parents wanted to make the perfect fine Lady. "Can I read what it says?"

Tom placed the cellphone in front of the mirror so she could see it properly. "Is it right?" He asked her.

"Yes, that's what it means." She said hesitantly. "Do you think there is a special way to break the mirror?"

"I don't know, maybe just break it carefully? He said, unsure of his words.

"Can you do it?" She asked.

"I said I would help you, didn't I?"Tom answered "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready to leave this place for the last 97 years." Sybil said, and Tom carefully lifted the mirror.

"I'm not sure, and you can just fall out from it, so I think it's better to jut move this mirror from here."

"Thinking about the details, I like that." Sybil said, trying to hide her nervousness. She knew she had very little reason to stay nervous, If it didn't work, maybe it would just end her suffering. She was glad for Tom's help anyway. It was a change, and in the end changes are always scary. even when they are good.

"Here it goes." Tom said, he was holding the mirror above the bed and he decided that the best way to break it would be slowly hitting it with something, in this case a paperweight. "Tell me if it hurts."

"I will." Sybil replied and Tom started to slowly break the mirror, he had a made a crack in the middle of it, he continued hitting it, until a powerful withe light come from its cracks, he couldn't see anything, until the light stopped and he saw her, she had fallen on the bed, pieces of the mirror glass all over her, she was with a smile so wide he thought her face would break into two.

"Hello, are you ready to take on the world, Lady Sybil?"

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><p><em>The word of the spell that Larry Grey used are latin, from an online translator, sorry for any mistakes, they mean: 'It is not mine or your It is, its trapped , will never leave'. And the words Tom reads to figure a way to free Sybil means: Hers and hers, hers alone, with these words know that the mirror will have to break.<em>


	4. Meeting The Modern World I

_Hi, how are you all? Here is the next chapter and I hope you like it._

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><p>Sybil didn't knew what to react at first, but for the first time in 97 years, she had felt something that wasn't the hard glass of the mirror, instead it was a soft bed, and when he said those words, she knew she was truly alive, and she couldn't be more happier.<p>

"Hello, are you ready to take on the world, Lady Sybil?" Toma asked, helping her get up from the bed, her legs were feeling like jelly, from all the time without walking, but even then she hugged him.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She whispered. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome, what kind of person would I be if didn't help someone who needed?" Tom answered and she let go of him siting on the bed again.

"I will always be grateful to you." Sybil said and Tom smiled and she swore he blushed. "What happens now?"

"I don't know, didn't you tought of what would happen when you leave?" Tom asked.

"I wasn't planning on staying there for 97 years, so I hoped my family would still be alive." Sybil replied.

"Are you hungry? I just realised you probably haven't eaten in a long time." Tom asked, his face showing concern and Sybil thought it was very funny that was the first thing he'd think of.

"No, I know it is weird but I am not hungry." Sybil answered with laugh and as more time passed, the more she wanted to understand how all of that could have happened in her life.

"Is there anyone else who knows? The people who work here?" Tom asked, thinking that maybe one of them would be able to help her now that she was out of the mirror.

"If they had realised something they probably just ignored it." Sybil answered "Perhaps they tought it would be a ghost." She laughed, trying to ease the tension that formed in the room.

"In this case, you ned to find out what to do." Tom said "I'll help you."

"But you've helped me so much already." Sybil said almost shyly.

"Well, I did said I wanted to help people." Tom said "And besides, who else do you know?"

"No one who is alive at least." Sybil replied.

"There is it, we just need to find a way to get you out of Downton without anyone noticing." He said "And we need to find you other clothes."

"Not that I don't agree, but why?" Sybil asked him with a smile.

"No one will think you're from this century if you wear that dinner gown." Tom said, and he was right, her dress was luxurious and certainly would fit for a special dinner today, but not for a someone who would prevent that lived her whole life at this time.

"I think you may have a point in this." Sybil said "Where can we find it?"

"I have no idea." Tom said "Wait! I got an idea."

Tom rushed to his backpack and grabbed a big t-shirt and some pyjama bottoms he had brought with him, and handed them to Sybil.

"What?" Sybil asked, confused, but believing he may have a point with this.

"You take a bath, put these on and I'll go see if I can find something else for you to wear." Tom said "This was your room so I take you know where the bathroom is, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Sybil said, standing up "Thank you Tom."

"You're welcome, Sybil." Tom said, and Sybil started to walk to the bathroom.

"No need to call me Lady."Sybil said "Just call me Sybil." She finished before closing the bathroom door.

Tom quickly changed his own clothes and rushed out of the room, to find clothes for Sybil to wear when she finished her bath. They had talked for a long time, it was already morning and people were already out in the streets.

Downton's bathroom hadn't changed much, yes there were a few devices she had no idea of what they were but the essence and the decoration were the same, it had Sybil wondering if the rest of the house had remained unchanged as well.

Sybil took a nice long bath, washed her hair and dressed the clothes Tom had given her, they were bigger than her, in fact they were very big, but she couldn't help but think of her family when she dressed the pants, it reminded her of those green harem pants she had worn all these years and how horrified her family was, and she cried, because in all these years she never mourned over her lost family, over her lost life.

She sat on a chair on the corner of the room, legs tucked beneath herself crying for a long time, she hadn't knew how much until Tom came back holding a bag and two cups in his hand.

"Hey, what's wrong?" tom said kneeling in front of her "I brought some tea and a few biscuits."

"Nothing, I just, I don't know." Sybil sobbed quietly.

"Then we'll figure it out." Tom said whipping her tears with his thumbs. "I promise."

"You like to make a lot of promises, don't you Mr. Branson?" Sybil asked, and even tought they had met less than a day ago, she was trusting this man as she hadn't trusted anyone before.

"And I also like to keep them." Tom assured. "And I brought you clothes after all you can't stay in oversized pyjamas for the rest of your life. I don't know your size, so I brought a regular size, they're very simple."

"They're lovely, thank you." Sybil said, looking at the white skirt and button shirt he had bought her. "I'll dress myself."

"And I will start writing my article." Tom answered grabbing his paper and pen, he still had no idea where to start and he didn't want to include Sybil's fate in it, it wouldn't be right and wouldn't give her the chance to start over as she really wanted to.


	5. Meeting The Modern World II

_New Chapter! Yay! _

_I would like to thank everyone who reviewed this story, it truly means a lot to me. You are all awesome._

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><p>Sybil was afraid of this new world, she didn't knew where to start or what to do. Luckily she had Tom, who promised to take care of her, <em>but what if one day he get's tired of me? <em>Sybil wondered to herself.

She knew deep inside she could trust him, he had already proved that he was more than willing to help her, she knew that he was a good man but she couldn't help but wonder how much of the world she would have to face alone, if she would have to fight for what she wanted do with her life. Even tough something tells her he would support her dreams.

But Sybil realised she had nothing left, no money, no house, how would she live? She knew she wanted to become a nurse, maybe even a doctor but for that she would have to work hard, and it could not be easy for a woman who knows nothing about this new world, because no matter how much Tom made it seem easy, she knew it had changed a lot.

"I'm finished!" She heard Tom laughing from behind the door, she hadn't realised she had been in the bathroom to change for such a long time that Tom could have finished his article, she made a mental note to ask him about it later.

"That is great." Sybil said walking out of the room to meet Tom who was with a smile in his face tucking a note-book in his suitcase.

"I'm done, now we can think of what will we do for the rest of the day, ready to leave this room?" Tom asked and Sybil nodded.

"More than ready." Sybil answered and Tom opened the door to take a look on the corridor outside, he didn't want anyone wondering where did she came from.

"Do you think we should keep it secret?" Sybil asked him "Because I do."

"I agree, now come on, there is no one outside." Tom said "We can go outside, it's sunny and warm today."

"Just the way I like it then."Sybil answered and they walked outside hand in hand without even realising it.

"We need to get you some things if you want to live now, like some documents, and teach you some things." Tom said as they continued to walk on the path that would lead them to the garden.

"That would be useful." Sybil answered, she knew this would be hard but she was willing to try. "Here we are, my favorite part of the house."

"Really?" Tom asked, even tough it didn't surprised him that much.

"Yes, along with the library." Sybil added.

"I can see why, they're both beautiful places." Tom said as they sat on a bench under a tree.

"I am wondering, how on earth are we going to get me documents?" Sybil asked "After all everyone believes I am dead, at least that is what my parents told everyone."

"We'll have to think about it, it's not easy, and we won't want the police going after us for falsifying documents." Tom answered "Maybe we can pretend you lost them or someone stole it."

"Won't they need prove I am who I really am?" Sybil asked "Not many people have the name 'Crawley' you know? I doubt that changed much in all this time."

"Then choose another name." Tom said "Say the first last name that comes to your mind, that isn't Crawley."

"Levinson." Sybil answered quickly "It was my grandmother's name, she was american."

"Well, then you'll be Sybil Levinson." Tom said "And we'll leave Downton this afternoon and go to a registry office and get you everything we'll need."

"I like the sound of that." Sybil said "But where will I live?"

"You can stay with me until you have earthing figured out."

"That is way too much." Sybil said.

"I live there alone, It will be nice to have company, plus I've got an extra room with no use."

"Fine, but just until I find a job and I'm able to live on my own." Sybil agreed reluctantly "Deal?"

"Deal." He said, shaking her hand.

"Now, let's go, there is a bus that can take us to london that leaves at 2pm, and It's already 10am, so we better get our things ready."

"Let's go then." Sybil said standing up and pulling Tom with her.

They walked back to the room, and Sybil helped Tom with the packing he had to do, which wasn't much, since he had only spent a night there and he spent all of it awake. They removed the glass from the mirror that was still all over the bed and floor and they hide the frame so that no one would even found out about it.

When they were leaving, Tom went to make the check out while Sybil sneaked out trough these hallways she knew so well, for a way out, they had agreed to meet outside the gates. As she walked trough outside the house, she was so lost in tought she didn't even realised there was someone in front od her until she bumped into it.

"Hey, be more carefull." A quite but nervous voice spoke from the ground.

"I am terribly sorry. Are you alright?" Sybil asked helping the girl stand up.

"Yes, I am Daisy." she spoke.

"I am Sybil Craw -, I mean Levinson."

"Well nice to meet you, now I need to go." The girl answered. "But wait a minute, you look familiar."

"Me?" sybil asked pointing to herself. "Well, most people say I have a pretty common face."

"Okay." Daisy said and as soon as she left sybil started to run away. She couldn't belive that girl nearly recognized her, she was really relief she hadn't otherwise she would have a problem.

When Sybil finally reached the outside gates of Downton abbey Tom was already there waiting for her.

"Ready?" Tom asked her with a chuckle.

"I have never been more ready."


	6. Meeting The Modern World III

_hello, I would like to thank everyone who read and reviewed this story, and as always you guys are awesome. I also would like to say that since I will be going to my grandparents house next week with a limited access to internet for two weeks, I will post one chapter of this story everyday until friday. So I will see you all tomorrow! Have a lovely day._

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><p>That was it, Sybil was finally leaving Downton Abbey, the last time she had done that was when she went to the nurse school to help on the great war. Now she would go to London, to a whole new world.<p>

"Do you want to go to the registry office first or want to stop by my house first so we can eat something?" Tom asked as they sat on the omnibus.

"I want to meet your home first, Will Penny be there?" Sybil asked, one of the things she missed the most about her old life was Isis, her father's dog.

"She will, I've asked a neighbour to stop by a few times per day to take care of her." Tom said "I think Penny may take a while to get used to you living there."

" And why?" Sybil asked. "All the dogs I meet het used to me pretty quickly."

"She's used to being the only girl in the house." Tom laughed and sybil smiled.

"Well, we will work and I am sure that she'll love me." Sybil replied.

"If you say so, but we'll have to see." Tom answered "We still have two hours 'till London."

"Alright." sybil said, leaning her head on the window and closing her eyes.

"Tired?"

"Yes." Sybil said in a sleepy voice and not long after she was in deep sleep and Tom decided to read a journal. Sybil shivered once in a while and Tom took of his jacket and placed it gently over her shoulders because of the cold and Sybil just snuggled into it, and it made Tom smile at what he saw, even tough it was something he'd never do, that woman was starting to get into his heart, and he was allowing it.

She woke just as they started to get close to London, Tom was now reading a book.

"What time is it?" Sybil asked, sitting straight on the sit.

"I would say about 4pm, we are near London now." Tom said closing his book and putting it on his lap.

"I belive this is yours." sybil said, taking the jacket off her shoulders and giving it to Tom. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tom answered with a small smile.

The bus came to a stop and Tom got up and so did Sybil.

"This is our stop then?" She asked as he picked his bags.

"It is, it's not very far from my house, so we can walk there."

"Sounds good." Sybil said "Do you want me to cook dinner?"

"You can cook?" Tom asked surprised, he didn't think a Lady would know how to cook.

"Yes I can, Mr. Patmore teached me when I was younger." She said "I can cook something for us."

"Alright, what can you cook?" Tom asked as they entered Tom's small flat.

"I will see what you have here, and I'll go from there." Sybil said, not very long after they arrived, in fact they weren't even able to move in to the living room, a big dog with a caramel fur came shaking her tail and jumping in to Tom.

"Hey, that's my girl." Tom said ruffling the animal's fur, kneeling on the ground. "Penny, I want you to meet Sybil. sybil this si Penny."

"She is so cute." Sybil said kneeling on the ground too, and the dog came to her, loving all the attention she was receiving. "I told you most dogs love me."

"I can see that." Tom said, noticing his dog was now ignoring him to play with Sybil. "I will show you the house now." He said standing up and helping her do the same.

"This is the living room and as you can see the kitchen is behind that counter,and the bathroom is on the first door on the corridor." He said leading the way. "This is my room."

"Alright." Sybil said and Tom led her to the other side of the corridor and opened the door.

"And this will be yours." Tom said. "it's not Downton, but it will be home."

"I like it very much, thank you." Sybil said smiling at him. "I will wash my hands and then I'll make us some dinner."

"I'll take a shower." Tom said and grinned. "And while we eat I'll give you a course on what happened with the world."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"And if you need help, just call me." Tom said walking to his room.

After Tom said those words, Sybil left for the kitchen and now she was starting to understand that the World had changed, while she was traveling from Downton to London, she saw the way people were dressing and now in the kitchen she could see all these things, she had no idea of what they were. Sybil hoped all the things she used to make a good dinner were there as well as the new things.

"What do we have here?" Sybil said to herself as she looked on the cabinets and fridge.

In the end Sybil decided for a roasted chicken with potatoes and a chocolate cake, which was her speciality, as Mr. Patmore used to say.

She started to work on the chicken seasoning it with onions, garlic, sal and pepper, just like Mr. Patmore teached her, always with Penny, next to her, that dog hasn't left her side since Sybil had arrived, and although the dog doesn't look like Isis at all, the way she snuggle on sybil's legs once in a while, made her remember her father's always faithful Isis.

Sybil put the chicken and potatoes on the oven and started on the cake, she was so concentrated on her task she didn't even saw Tom walking in the kitchen.

"Whatever you're doing it smells great." He said and Sybil smiled proudly.

"It's just a roasted Chicken with potatoes and I am finishing the chocolate cake's dough." Sybil said still smiling.

"I can't even remember the last time I ate something like rosted chicken." Tom said and sybil frowned.

"Why? Can't you cook?" She asked and Tom sat on a chair.

"No, I just don't have time, plus I like to make something simple as fast."

"Oh, I see." Sybil laughed. "I'll put this on the oven, I hope you're not way to hungry."

"I can wait till it's done." Tom said, as sybil started to do the dishes. "No, let me, You cook, I'll clean."

"That is great." Sybil said and Tom started on the dishes for her, he was a gentleman, thing that according to her grandmother wouldn't exist in the future. apparently The Dowager Countess was wrong.


	7. Meeting The Modern World IV

_Hi!_

* * *

><p>Not long after Tom had finished washing the dishes, the chicken had roasted was now ready to eat and the cake would be done in just a few more minutes. Tom and sybil were siting on the table, siting in an awkward silence, after having agreed to wait for the cake.<p>

"I can make us a salad." Tom said standing up, hating this awful silence between them. "Do you want a salad?"

"A salad would be lovely." Sybil answered smiling kindly at him as he picked tomatoes and cursed at the ones that had gone bad.

"Mind if we don't eat that salad?" Tom asked smiling shyly, he couldn't belive he had forgotten to buy vegetables, that was something he usually never forget to buy.

"It's okay." Sybil answered, realising that all Tom was trying to do was make her feel at home, and for him her home was grand and luxurious, she juts needed him to see that all this things never mattered for her. "We can eat just chicken potatoes and cake, that is if you don't mind."

"Sounds perfect." Tom answered, and the oven signalized that the cake had finished baking, and Tom took it out of the oven and placed it to cool. "It smells wonderful."

"I don't want to sound full of myself but it does." Sybil answered, taking two plates and placing them neatly over tha table. "so what did I miss in all these years?"

"A lot, want to start with general knowledge, politics or separate it by important fact you need to know as fast as you can to adapt."

"I have time to learn the rest, I guess I'll take the last option." Sybil answered as they started eating.

"My God." Tom said as he took a bite of the chicken. "This is truly wonderful."

"Thank you Tom." Sybil smiled.

"Now, let's get started." Tom said "There are new appliances as you can see here."

"Wait! Did you got a pen and paper? I want to write it all down." Sybil said.

"I'll go get it for you, wait here." Tom said, smiling at her enthusiasm with things that for him are so simple and ordinary.

As Tom went to get Sybil a notebook she started to feel nervous with anticipation of what would happen, she would finally start to feel a part of this new world, and that is something amazing for her.

"Here it is." Tom said handing her a black cover notebook and a simple pen. "You can keep this one to write everything you'd like."

"Thank you. " Sybil smiled opening the notebook on its first page. "What were you saying earlier?"

"There are new things, like much more modern ovens, and other things like televisions, created in 1925."

"Oh, what is television then?" Sybil asked writing on the notebook and Tom had to bite his mouth to not chuckle, she was looking really surprised at something so normal for him that it was really cute.

"Follow me." Tom said leading her to the living room, and turning on the tv, it was airing a TV show, and Sybil looked mesmerized by it.

"It's like a cinema but with colors." Sybil stated without looking away rom he television in front of her.

"Sort of, but the cinemas have colors too." Tom said. "The television only became popular arround the world after the second world war."

"Second?" Sybil asked, finally looking him in the eye. "There was another war after the one we had back then?"

"Yes, in 1939 to 1945." Tom said, he could see and hear the sadness in her as she spoke.

"I though that war would end all wars."

"We don't have to talk about it yet if you don't want to." Tom said, sensing that wasn't a good thing for him to tell her now, and not liking to see her sad.

"I would like to talk about the good things that happened first." Sybil said and Tom started to tell her about everything, the votes for woman, all the modern things.

"I fell like I entered a whole new world." Sybil stated. "And the people look so different, I can't belive woman can wear pants now! it was such a scandal back then."

"Now it's not." Tom said. "And they can work, even tough there is still discrimination against them."

"It will always be this way?" Sybil asked Tom and he could see that she loved to talk about woman's rights.

"I sure hope not, I belive in equality." Tom said "The world still has it's bad and dark moments but you'll see it's not always an awful place."

"I hope so." Sybil smiled as they continued to talk about the world and Tom told her about his home in Ireland and the plans he had of coming back to it one day.

"Will you?" Sybil asked "Go back home?"

"I think I will one day, not know." Tom said "I visit them every time I can but I would like to live there again someday."

"It seems like a lovely place."

"It is. I think we should call it a day." Tom said, glancing a the clock on the wall, it was nearly half past midnight and they were both tired from the long day they had.

"I agree, good night Tom." Sybil answered walking to her room.

"Good night Sybil." He answered. "And before I forget, I've left those clothes I gave you to wear at Downton on the bed, you can use them to sleep."

"Thank you." Sybil said and left the room, to leave Tom wondering just how much she had gotten to his heart and how sad would he be when he would have to let her to live on her own. he knew it wouldn't be soon, but still something in him ached just at the thought of letting her go.


	8. Meeting The Modern World V

_Hello!_

* * *

><p>Sybil woke with the smell of breakfast being made, <em>I hope it's pancakes<em> Sybil thought to herself, opening her eyes, who were still adjusting to the light in the room.

As Sybil walked to the kitchen, she could hear Tom humming a song, she watched him for a long time, and she noticed for the first time the way he made her feel, when she was with him, she felt safe, like she finally had a place where she belonged. She didn't knew if it was gratitude or something else, but she did knew she was very fond of him.

She was so lost in her thoughts and doubts she didn't even noticed that Tom had turned arround and was now looking at her.

"Sybil? Are you okay?" He asked, his voice showing his obvious concern for her.

"Yes, I was just thinking." She answered, and she was sure she was blushing. "Good morning Tom."

"Good morning." He answered, placing something on the table. "I've made breakfast for us."

"Wonderful." Sybil said "Are these Pancakes?"

"Yes they are." Tom said "I hope you like them."

"They are delicious, thank you Tom." Sybil said taking a bite.

"You're welcome." Tom said, "I was thinking and I remember seeing a nurse school announcement arround the neighbourhood."

"Oh! That is wonderful." Sybil smiled, but then a realisation hit her, how would she ever be able to get in without having documents, money and without knowing how things work now?

"What is it?" Tom asks her, noticing how her smiled had dropped.

"How will I get in? I have nothing." Sybil said.

"I've told you we will find a way to get you documents, and it's a voluntary nurse course." Tom said "You basically pay the course with your work as a nurse while you study."

"Have I said you're a wonderful person Tom?" sybil answered smiling brightly at him once more.

"Do you think that? Really?" Tom asked her but she could notice he was only teasing her.

"Funny, but serious now we need to find a way to get those documents, will the registry office just accept I have none and belive they were lost?"

"I thought of everything." Tom said smiling proudly. "We will tell them there was a fire and that the only document you had left, that survived the fire was lost when you tried to return your packages after a trip."

"Do you belive it will work?" Sybil asked, and Tom nodded.

"Now we better go, we have a lot to do today." Tom said standing up.

"Alright, just let me get dressed and we will leave." Sybil said rushing to her room. "And I'll wash the dishes today."

"That works just fine for me." Tom laughed. Even tough Sybil had only been there for a day and they had met for no longe than three-day, Sybil was very dear to him, and he truly loved when he could bring a smile to her face.

Sybil was ready after a while, wearing the same clothes he had bought for her, with a smile in her face followed closely by Penny, who had run to the door, hoping she could go out too.

"Sorry Penn." Tom said ruffling her head. "Not today, maybe later."

Tom Branson lived in downtown so his house is close to pretty much everything he needs like stores, cafe's and luckily for them the registry office, where they just walked in.

"Good morning, how can I help you?" A woman, the secretary, who looked in her mid twenties asked.

"We came here to get some documents for me." Sybil answered politely and the woman whose sybil could now see that had the name of Ivy, looked at them strangely.

"And what happened with yours, may I ask?"

"They were lost in a fire." Tom answered for her.

"I will send you two to talk with Mr. Carson, room number 23 on the left." She answered, not seeming convinced by their story.

"Mr. Carson?" Tom asked walking in the room 23, the man that they had to find was looking reading some files and turned his face to them as he heard his name being called.

"Yes, how may I help you?" The man asked.

"I have lost some documents and I would like to make new ones." Sybil answered calmly. "My name is Sybil Levinson."

"And you are?" Mr. Carson says looking at Tom, who had just pulled at chair for Sybil to sit in.

"I am Tom Branson, I am her friend." Tom answered, he was really sure of his plan, but now that he had to put it in action he was nervous.

"What documents have you lost Miss Levinson?"

"All of them." Sybil answered, sounding a lot more convincing than Tom. "When my house burned down they were all lost."

"And do you know in what office were you registered?"

"No, and I am afraid they are lost too." Sybil said "apparently I am not a very lucky woman."

"Apparently." He said and appeared to think for a few minutes. "I will give you the permit to make a new one, it will be an identity card."

"Oh! Thank you!" Sybil smiled.

"I am afraid you will have to make all the other ones again."

"That is not a problem Mr. Carson, if I have at least one, it will help me get the others." Sybil smiled and he handed her a note saying o go to the room fifteen and talk with Anna, that he would make her identity and then sybil and Tom left the room, after thanking Mr. Carson.

"See I told you it was easy." Tom said and Sybil laughed quietly.

"Really? You seemed so nervous there?" Sybil replied and they both started to laugh, which gave them weird glances from the staff who was there and Sybil could swear she heard a woman murmur that they were 'Love birds'.

As they reached the office it was easy to get an identity card and not long after Sybil Crawley was Sybil Levinson.

"Let me see it." Tom said taking the card from her hands and laughing as they walked out to the registry office. "This isn't fair, you actually look really beautiful in this photo, no one looks good in their identity card."

"Oh I am sure you look just fine in yours." Sybil said blushing because Tom had in a way just told her she is beautiful.

"I look awful, but enough of that, want a coffee?" Tom asks Sybil with a smile. "I know a great place that is just arround the corner."

"I would love a coffee, maybe then we can celebrate I am now a person with an identity card and I am able to move on from the past."

"Let's celebrate a happy future then."


	9. Is it love? I

It had been two months after they had met and now Tom is realising that his feelings towards his new friend is a bit more than just friendship. He didn't mean for this to happen of course, but it did, and now there is not much he can do but hope she fells the same. Not that he wants to tell her, at least not now. Tom had always been confident and sure of himself, but whan he is arround her, he doesn't know if that is a good thing and most of all, a good way to say it.

Sybil was now at home after returning from a long shift at the hospital, but Tom was still at work, he had being working a lot more since he noticed he loves her. Hopping that if he wasn't with her all the time, it would make it easier to hide and pretend nothing had changed at all, but everything had changed.

And that made Sybil worry, because she didn't knew why her best friend was acting so strange, so she did the same thing he did, focused on her work and her studies, but that didn't meant she will let him go without knowing what was really happening.

"Syb?" Tom asks walking on the flat after arriving from the journal, he had made the habit of calling her that, and she always thought it funny, since she didn't have many nicknames as a child, but she still had to come up with a nickname for him, she just had no idea of what to call him.

"Hi Tom, look I finally learned how to turn this thing on the internet." Sybil says proudly taking a sip of the tea she had made, Tom remembers how hard it is for her to learn things that are so normal to him, but he also knows that he had learned many things with her.

"That is great, what site are you one now? I can show some pretty cool sites." He asks, shamelessly taking a sip of her tea and siting on the couch with her, smirking once he saw that she didn't like what he did at all.

"Hey, that was my tea!" Sybil says trying to fake her anger, but she just can't get mad at him, not when he looks at her with those blue eyes and smirks in that cute way.

"You're right it _was._" Tom says, looking her in the eye, before glancing at her was smiling now and all he wants to do is kiss her, but he just can't do it.

It wouldn't seem right, not when he doesn't know if she loves him on the same way he loves her. He knows she loves him in a way, but there is always a part of him that wonders if it's just in a friendly way.

Their faces were only inches apart but he pulls away from her, blushing in the most adorable way someone can blush, at least on the eyes of Sybil, whom Tom hopes won't notice that if he had looked at her for another second he would have kissed her.

"How was work today?" Tom asks her surprisingly after a few moments of pure silence trying to break the serious aura of the room. "How is everyone at the hospital?"

"It was good and everyone is fine. Mrs. Carter said I am improving and that I can become a great nurse someday." Sybil said and Tom smiled happily at her and Sybil decided that now it was finally time to ask him.

"What is happening with you? with us?" Her last words coming out barely louder than a whisper but also feeling like she had taken a weight of her shoulders.

Tom looks at her as if he didn't knew what to say, which he does, he knows he wants to say 'I love you' but the thing is how could he say that? She was his best friend and she trusts him, and just telling her he loves her out of nowhere like that could make her leave and that is not something he wants to risk.

"Tom, please, you're acting strange, was it something that I've done?" Sybil asks, she know she doesn't want to lose Tom, she doesn't know what she could do without him, he is her best friend and maybe if she gets lucky one day he may even become something else.

"I don't know." That is all he says, trying to say more, he just doesn't know what to say to her that would explain everything, without actually explaining everything.

"Can we just forget all this?" Sybil asks, she doesn't know much of what it's happening with them either, so for her it was only fair that he didn't knew either.

"If you forgive me for acting strange?" Tom says, and Sybil could see the guilt in his blue eyes.

"We will forgive and forget then." She says, her voice more sure than it was before.

Tom had become a great friend foe her and she won't let her feelings get in the middle of their friendship, besides she had just returned from ninety-seven years in a mirror, she needs to put her life back in place and not go out looking for love. But if the love shows up at your door, why not to open your heart to it?

"Aye, we forgive and forget." Tom replies, happy that his secret is safe for a little longer but sad he just missed the perfect opportunity to tell her what he feels. He doesn't need her to tell him that she loves him, just knowing that she wouldn't leave, or worse just ignore him would be just enough for him. Being her friend is just enough for him.


	10. Is It Love? II

_So this is it! the last chapter, I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I do. See you all soon._

* * *

><p>Breakfast on the following day wasn't as awkward as Sybil thought it would be, Tom seemed lighter than usual, <em>perhaps he had a good dream. <em>Sybil thought, but it didn't matter why, Sybil was happy she had managed to get back in good terms with Tom.

"What if we went for a street fair today?" Tom asks casually, he didn't want it to seem like he was inviting her for a date, which he wasn't, well unless she wanted to, of course. "That is if you'd like to."

Sybil was sure of her answer even before Tom finished and it could only be _yes. _What could possible be better than spending an afternoon playing games with Tom Branson?

"I heard about it, some friends from work talked about it." Said Sybil. "It sounds fun, we should go."

that was it, she had said yes, and now Tom was feeling like he was some silly teenage boy who was looking for a date to prom and wanted to ask the prettiest girl in school. But the turn of events was that he wasn't a boy anymore and she had said yes, it wasn't a date but still, it was the best he could get.

_Just tell her how you feel. _A voice whispered in his head, maybe it was his conscience, but Tom had chosen to ignore it, maybe he could do that later, if the fair wasn't a total disaster, and at that moment Tom made a silly bet with himself. If Tom manages to win Sybil a prize from the fair, any prize, he'd tell her. It was a stupid bet, just a way that Tom had made to insure that he would tell her.

"And just so you know, I loved the fair back then, and I think I can beat you in any game." Sybil said, already with a winning smirk in her face and a gleam in her eye.

"Oh, really?" Tom answered "But I promise I can win something there, trust me, I am a better player than you think."

"We'll see about that Mr. Branson." Sybil smiled "We'll see."

After arriving at the fair, they quickly started on the games, though none of then had managed to win a prize yet, they had tried with the fishing area, they had tried to shoot the duck, but they both failed miserably.

"I think I lost my practice." Sybil said laughing as they stopped by a food truck, thing that got Sybil addicted the minute she had discovered about them.

"Me too." Said Tom "But we still have one left."

"You know that those streight games aren't fair." She protested "You are obviously a lot stronger physically than I am."

"But it's the only game we haven't played and you don't need to play it if you don't want to." He said, at this moment Tom was feeling quite desperate to win a prize, it was maybe the only way he would get the courage to tell her. "Please."

"Why do you want a prize so much? It's only a stuffed animal."

"I have my reasons, you'll see." Tom answered, and Sybil wondered what could be Tom's reason to want a stuffed animal, he had no one to give it to, his siblings were quite grown up and he had no small cousins that sybil was aware of.

"Fine, but you will play it once, it's getting late and we both have to work tomorrow, plus its sunday I still want to sleep soon so that I can wake up rested for the weekend."

"You're the best!" Tom exclaimed and ran to the game, feeling like a kid. She walked to reach him and to see him play, he had a fire in his eyes, he was truly determinate to win that prize, like that would mean his life. And somehow for him it did.

"Good Luck!" Sybil said, stepping closer and feeling bold enough to give him a good lucky kiss on his cheek. Tom blushed brightly but smiled throwing the bat with so much fierceness she was ure he had won his treasured prize.

"Here it is." Said a man giving him a stuffed bear. "Now your girlfriend has a big stuffed bear."

Now it was Sybil's turn to blush, but she rather liked the sound of that, _girlfriend_, maybe that was the term she was looking for to describe them. It seemed fit and now that he stopped to think of it, that was probably the way people see them, as a pair and as equal.

"Okay that was a bit awkward." Tom said laughing but looking at her in the eye.

"Maybe." She said serious without even realising, as Tom opened his mouth to speak Sybil didn't know what to make of his new statement.

"I like you, as in a like, like you way." After he said those words Sybil just stood there frozen. "I am sorry I am an idiot, I should have shut up."

"Please don't, I like when you speak with me." She said, but that only made Tom confuse, did she said she like when he speaks, or that he likes him? "Do you mean what I think you meant?"

"What do you think I meant?" Tom asked, his voice quiet and low.

"That you actually have deeper feelings for me." Sybil said, she was still unsure about he own feelings and now that she and Tom were actually speaking about it, she hoped it would all be clearer.

"Yes,do you?" He said "It's okay you don't need to answer me."

"What if I want to?" Sybil said, stepping closer to Tom who had walked a few steps away, looking him in the eye, his eyes were full of love and admiration for her. He moved closer but jerked his head away, as if he had done something stupid and she could notice he was mentally scolding himself.

"You can kiss me." And when he did, she knew what she felt, the same Tom did. Love.


End file.
